Six killed as India heads back to the pollsby Staff WritersPatna, India (AFP) April 24, 2014

India's Modi 'overwhelmed' by mass support in VaranasiVaranasi, India (AFP) April 24, 2014 -
Indian election frontrunner Narendra Modi said he was "overwhelmed" Thursday by a huge show of support in Varanasi as the Hindu nationalist leader entered the contest to become the holy city's member of parliament.

The streets of the ancient city on the banks of the river Ganges were flooded by people keen to greet or at least glimpse the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader as he came to file his nomination papers.

"I feel overwhelmed by the love the people of Kashi (the ancient name of Varanasi) have shown me and I bow to this land and its traditions," said the 63-year-old at the nomination centre.

"It feels like Mother Ganga has called me here. The way a son goes back to his mother's lap, that's how I feel today."

India's multi-phase general election began on April 7 but does not wrap up until May 12 when Varanasi and a host of other constituencies in the state of Uttar Pradesh go to the polls.

The contest in Varanasi is the most keenly watched of the election as Arvind Kejriwal, leader of the fledgling anti-corruption Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party, is also standing.

Modi has largely steered clear of advancing his party's Hindu nationalist agenda on the campaign trail, presenting himself as an economic reformer and sound administrator.

But analysts say his decision to run from the sacred city of Varanasi is an effective way of burnishing the Hindu credentials of the chief minister of western Gujarat state.

He remains a deeply controversial figure for many Indians after more than 1,000 people -- mainly Muslims -- lost their lives in riots in Gujarat in 2002 shortly after he came to power.

Dressed all in white, he was flanked by his top aide Amit Shah, who was briefly banned from campaigning for inflammatory comments he made this month in an area hit by anti-Muslim riots last year.

The streets were a sea of saffron, the BJP's colour which is associated with Hinduism, with the mainly male crowd decked out in BJP caps or carrying party flags.

"This (Modi) wave has been turned into a tsunami by Modi's supporters and this wave will wipe out" the BJP's rivals in Uttar Pradesh, Shah told reporters.

Polls show the BJP and its allies are likely to oust the ruling Congress party from power after results are announced on May 16, but will likely fall short of an outright majority.

Analysts say Modi is likely to win comfortably in Varanasi despite the competition from Kejriwal.

He is also running for a constituency in Gujarat but he is not expected to take up that seat if he wins both.

The latest stage of India's massive five-week election was marred by bloody violence Thursday, with a landmine triggered by Maoist insurgents killing at least five policemen in an insurgency-hit eastern state.

A polling official was also killed in the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley after militants ambushed his vehicle, as clashes and militant threats drove scores of local residents away from polling stations.

Elsewhere, constituents in the financial capital Mumbai, the home of Bollywood and sprawling slums, were among the 180 million eligible voters, as were residents of the electorally crucial southern state of Tamil Nadu.

The parliamentary election has been staggered in a bid to ensure the safety of the 814-million-strong electorate, with results due on May 16 when the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is forecast to take power.

In the eastern state of Jharkhand, Maoist rebels who have called for a boycott of the elections, killed five policemen in a landmine explosion as they were returning from polling duty.

"We can confirm that five of our brave men have died in the attack," head of Jharkhand police Rajeev Kumar told AFP.

The deaths underscored the security challenges facing election organisers in India which went to the polls on April 7.

- Low turnout -

Tension surged in the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley, where a separatist movement against Indian rule is centred, as police faced stone-throwing protesters in 20 different locations in Anantnag constituency, forcing them to use tear gas and batons to disperse the crowds.

Several journalists received minor injuries.

Voting was light at the heavily guarded polling stations after a campaign of intimidation by local militant groups, who killed three people this week and warned locals not to take part.

"I voted because if we send the right person to the Indian parliament he will raise our voice for azadi (freedom)," said defiant resident Umair, reflecting widespread separatist sentiment in the area.

Very few in the picturesque Himalayan valley, surrounded by towering snow-capped mountains, were expected to support national election frontrunner Narendra Modi, a hardline Hindu nationalist who is leading campaigning for the BJP.

Modi, the chief minister of the western state of Gujarat, remains a divisive figure due to his association with anti-Muslim riots in 2002 shortly after he came to power. The unrest cost at least 1,000 lives.

The 63-year-old appeared before hundreds of thousands of cheering supporters on Thursday as he filed his nomination papers to contest a seat from the holy Hindu city of Varanasi in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

Dressed all in white, he was flanked by his controversial aide Amit Shah, who was briefly banned from campaigning for inflammatory comments he made this month in an area hit by anti-Muslim riots last year.

"This wave (in support of Modi) has been turned into a tsunami," Shah told reporters as Modi waved and bowed to the crowd, saying he felt "overwhelmed by the love of the people".

The streets were a sea of saffron, the BJP's colour which is associated with Hinduism, with the mainly male crowd decked out in BJP caps or carrying the party's lotus emblem flags.

Modi, elected four times in Gujarat, has steered clear of advancing his party's Hindu nationalist agenda on the campaign trail, presenting himself as a centrist economic reformer capable of delivering a clean government.

All polls show him as vastly more popular than his rival Rahul Gandhi from the scandal-racked ruling Congress party, which has been in power for 10 years but faces its heaviest ever defeat.

- Bollywood and business -

Millions of voters, from Bollywood stars and business leaders to slum dwellers, turned out in the western megacity of Mumbai, standing in queues in a rare show of social mixing.

"A wonderful start to my birthday, as a responsible citizen of our great nation," the 41-year-old wrote on Twitter accompanied by a "selfie" of his inked finger.

After a rather slow start, Mumbai saw a turnout of some 52 percent roughly an hour before polling closed at 1900 IST (1330 GMT).

The Bollywood movie industry turned unusually political last week after more than 50 filmmakers, actors and writers, many of them Muslim, signed an appeal urging Indians not to vote for Modi and instead choose a "secular" party.

Also going to the polls on Thursday were voters in Tamil Nadu state, where Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram is hoping to win enough support to play a pivotal role in shaping India's next government.

The former film star, known as "Mother" to her followers, is one of the country's powerful regional leaders who could play a kingmaker role if Modi fails to win a majority and needs coalition partners.

In all, constituencies in 12 states voted on Thursday including Assam, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.

Hackers of Oman news agency target BouteflikaMuscat (AFP) April 20, 2014
Hackers on Sunday targeted the website of Oman's official news agency, singling out and mocking Algeria's newly re-elected president Abdelaziz Bouteflika as a handicapped "dictator".
Oman News Agency said its website had been hacked and that "false" reports were posted on the site.
The hackers reportedly distorted a news story about a letter from Oman's Sultan Qaboos to Bouteflika congr ... read more

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